US Navy Band / photo by Brian P. Bowman
America’s Navy is coming to Murfreesboro—one of 25 cities set to host a performance by the United States Navy Band during its 2019 tour.
The concert by the U.S. Navy Concert Band, one of the signature outreach programs of the U.S. Navy, is scheduled for Saturday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at the Blackman High School gymnasium.
The Navy Concert Band, the premier wind ensemble of the U.S. Navy, presents a wide array of marches, patriotic selections, orchestral transcriptions and modern wind ensemble repertoire. As the original ensemble of the Navy Band, the Concert Band has been performing public concerts and participating in high-profile events for more than 90 years.
One of the U.S. Navy Band’s primary responsibilities involves touring the country. All of the band’s primary performing units embark each year on concert tours throughout specified regions, allowing the band to reach out to audiences in many areas of the country.
Chief Musician Jonathan Yanik / photo by Adam Grimm
The concerts are family-friendly events, meant to be entertaining to veterans, families, individuals and those interested in joining the Navy.
All Navy Band performances are free and open to the public.
“Today, we have sailors performing around the world, improving relations with our allies abroad as well as telling the Navy story here at home,” said Capt. Kenneth Collins, U.S. Navy Band commanding officer.
Capt. Kenneth Collins / photo by David Aspinwall
In addition to the Concert Band, other Navy performing ensembles include the Ceremonial Band, Sea Chanters chorus, Commodores jazz ensemble, Country Current country/bluegrass ensemble and the Cruisers popular-music group.
Sailors in the Navy Band are full-time professional musicians who are enlisted in the U.S. Navy, most of whom have undergraduate degrees in music.
Musician 1st Class Bryce Edwards, a 1996 Oakland High School graduate, will return home to Murfreesboro for the March 16 concert. Edwards, a euphonium player, performs with the Navy Concert Band as well as with the Navy Tuba/Euphonium Quartet.
Bryce Edwards
Edwards has earned a bachelor of music degree from Tennessee Tech and a master of music degree from Indiana University, and won each university’s concerto competition, and is a frequent soloist with the Navy Band.
